Yogasm

I had my first yogasm yesterday at the Bali Spirit Festival. 
Having practiced yoga for years I’ve gotten fairly close before. 
But I’ve never quite gone to that full-on level. 
For the record, my first one was off-the-charts amazing.

The word ‘yogasm’ came into my brain halfway through the class as I was grinning from ear-to-ear in downward dog. I’ve never heard that term before (have you?) and it is the best description of what I experienced yesterday.

“I’ve got a pretty racy title for today’s blog post,” I said to everyone this morning when I entered the Bali Spirit Festival Media Center. “You guys okay with it?”

(Thankfully they were.)

Picture this: a room with no walls in luscious Bali with over 100 yogis and yoginis practicing side-by-side.

The energy is electric. Pulsing. Intense.

Tara Judelle is teaching Anusara yoga for the hips (perfect for yogasm).

Tara’s an incredible combination of fire, compassion, and grace. She’s hilarious too.

Expansion and contraction were the themes in yesterday’s yoga class at the Bali Spirit Festival.

“Don’t think: I don’t like this pose.” Tara says as she leads us into cow pose. (How did she know I was thinking that?) 

“That’s contraction! Think: I’m going to attempt to go into this pose as fully as possible. So what if you fall on your face or push your neighbor over with your body?! If you do fall over why not take out the whole line if you do a summersault! Don’t just hit one person. Really go for the whole row of people. Come on!”

We all laugh. 

“Yoga is about checking out a pose and not assuming you can’t do it without at least attempting it.”

She smiles and says, “Oh, look, the chickens came to class.” 

We all chuckle because there they are: those Balinese chickens that are everywhere.

She continues: “Contraction: I can’t do this pose. Expansion: I am going to do this pose and see what happens. Contraction: I’m afraid. Expansion: I’ve got courage. Contraction: The monster truck behind our class can’t roll over the dirt he placed by his tires. He’s wondering: ‘now why did I place that dirt by my tires? Now I can’t roll over it.’ (The truck makes a loud motor-revving sound and we all chuckle at our right hands in triangle pose). Expansion: the truck finally rolls over the dirt that was placed in front of the tires. ‘I’m free!’ the driver is thinking. Expansion!” 

I feel as though I can’t stay another moment in triangle. My legs and hands are shaking from effort. 

Tara says, “I know some of you want to get out of this pose. Here’s the thing: I wouldn’t keep you in a pose longer than I would stay in it myself. You can do this. Stay with the pose. Think: expansion. I can do this.”

And I can do this.

And I do stay in the pose.

I’m amazed.

I stay in triangle for longer than I’ve ever remained in the pose in the history of my yoga practice. And I stay in many other poses that I would ordinarily have gone into child’s pose after a certain length of time.

I’m expanding.

I’m experiencing yogasm. 

Thank you Tara.

Thank you Bali Spirit Festival.

Tara Judelle teaches at Desa Seni Resort in Pantai Berawa, Canggu, Bali. She leads Anusara retreats throughout the year. She can be contacted through Desa Seni Resort at: [email protected].

Kristin (Wayan) Morrison is an entrepreneur, author and world traveler. She lives in Bali and California. Kristin can be reached at: [email protected]

Written by : Kristin Morrison